Is your lawn a tripping hazard? If you have a bumpy lawn, you should first determine what is causing it. That way, you can solve the root of the problem and prevent it from happening again.
Uneven lawns can be caused by earthworms, mowing habits, thatch buildup, poor drainage, etc. Read on to learn more about each of these and how you can improve the lawn.
Bumpy Lawn from Overpopulation of Earthworms
If your lawn has many small lumps in it, you may have too many earthworms. Earthworms are usually good for the soil because they help plant matter decompose, which adds nutrients to the soil and keeps it airy. However, too many earthworms near the surface of the lawn can make it lumpy.
Not only does an excess of worms in your lawn cause bumpiness, but over time it can also cause invasions from moles, which eat worms. You should try to stay on top of earthworm populations for this reason.
How to Reduce Earthworms in Your Lawn
Excessive plant matter (like fall leaves) in the lawn can attract earthworms. Make sure you rake up all the leaves in fall or you could end up with an earthworm problem.
A thick thatch layer can also attract more worms to your lawn, so make sure you keep your thatch layer less than an inch thick. This will help prevent an excess of earthworms.
If you already have an earthworm problem, you can try to reduce their food source by reducing the thatch layer through aeration or dethatching. You should also avoid adding nutrient-dense mulch or manure to the soil as this will invite more earthworms.
Bumpy Lawn from Mowing Ruts
Mowing in the same pattern every time can cause ruts to form in the lawn. This is an easy fix. Simply alternate your mowing pattern and make sure you only mow when the lawn is dry. This will help prevent unevenness due to mowing ruts.
To fix minor, obvious ruts in the lawn, try to cut and lift the grass, then loosen the soil and add more as needed. Next, place the grass back on top of the soil, water well, and overseed to promote regrowth.
Bumpy Lawn from Thatch Buildup
Sometimes a thatch layer that is too thick can make the lawn uneven. To help with this, you can aerate the lawn with a sanitized aerator, or you can dethatch with a dethatching rake.
Bumpy Lawn from Poor Drainage
If your lawn has low spots due to soil composition and poor drainage, you may need to hire a professional to help fix it. They should be able to test the soil composition, isolate the spots with poor drainage, and create a plan to fix it.
If you choose to tackle this on your own, you’ll need to carefully spread sand or compost over the low spots of the lawn with a rake. This process is called top-dressing and will eventually level out the lawn, but it will take years.
How to Fix a Bumpy Lawn by Top-dressing
Follow these steps to fix a bumpy lawn:
- Mow the lawn very short
- Aerate the lawn
- Top-dress the lawn with a thin layer of sand, high quality topsoil, or compost
- Over-seed with a ryegrass and bluegrass mix (optional)
- Repeat yearly until the lawn evens out
When top-dressing the lawn, make sure you know the composition of your soil. If you have sandy soil to begin with, you should top-dress with compost or high-quality topsoil. If your lawn is silty, you can top-dress with a thin layer of sand. Be very careful when top-dressing the lawn because adding too much sand or soil to the surface of the lawn can damage or kill it.
You should also note that this process should be repeated yearly until the lawn is level. And it will take several years before the lawn starts to level out, so don’t expect it to be fixed in just one season.
While following the advice in this blog post will help even out your lawn, it’s only part of what you should do to grow a beautiful lawn. You’ll also need to follow proper watering, mowing, and fertilizing guidelines to keep your lawn green and healthy.
Stewart’s lawn spraying service includes seasonal fertilizer, weed control, and grub control applied at the correct time and rate all year long. We’ll take care of that part of your lawn care so you won’t have to worry about it. Call or text our office at 801-226-2261 for a free lawn service quote and more information!